Wednesday, 31 December 2014

WORKERS ON TAP!

Today’s Economist magazine front page cartoon depicts workers coming out of a tap. “Workers on tap” is the headline. It may be unintentional (although I’m not sure) but the effect is to show how working people are seen - from the viewpoint of the large employer and of capital.

They want a world in which workers can easily be hired and fired; workers on low, “competitive” wages; on zero-hour contracts; on absent health and safety regimes, with no unions! This undoubtedly will become the “new normal” in the coming years - unless we stop it.

In many countries, we are seeing the first signs of great political change - in Greece, Spain, Italy, Ireland and elsewhere. Here, workers and youth have started the process of forging their own political combat organisations and leadership.

But in other countries, such as France, in the absence of a bold and ambitious lead from trade union leaders or workers’ parties, the forces of the racist right are able to rear their ugly heads, to sow confusion and disruption amongst workers.

In the UK, it looks very much like “One Nation Labour” has neither the will nor the political programme to challenge the rule of big business. On the contrary, it hobbles lamely behind the worst of British politics! It is truly lost to workers - even if it pulls the odd left-sounding phrase out of the bag!

Many trade union leaders similarly are not up to the job (although with honourable exceptions). Some have tried to reform “New Labour” from within - only to be expelled and shunned. The National Shop Stewards Network, however, is fighting hard, and gaining ground, to change the climate (and the leadership) in the union movement.

Therefore, many workers and union activists, and also community activists and campaigners, are drawing the conclusion that a new workers’ party is required to challenge the rule of the 1% in the political sphere. This is the conclusion reached by the indefatigable Bob Crow, recent leader of the RMT. Together with other like minded individuals and socialist organisations he helped create TUSC as the vehicle for putting socialist, working class political firmly back on the agenda.

TUSC is an umbrella organisation that seeks the maximum unity of all workers and left organisations behind a programme of socialist challenge to the Tweedledum and Tweedledee parties of big money.

We aim to show there is an alternative to austerity, poverty and uncertainty.

We aim to build a powerful political influence for working people. A party not only for workers, but also of workers.